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The holidays are right around the corner and it’s actually the best opportunity to carry out a more thorough cleaning of all workplace environments.
In addition to the daily, weekly and monthly cleaning, the absence of personnel for the holiday-period allows us to deep clean all workstations, such as warehouses and assembly sites.
It is a key phase: the risks in a factory if not adequately treated can be severe.
Let’s see them together.
How to take action by cleaning warehouses
Company warehouses are mostly very large workplaces. Besides the staff, there’s a constant presence of machinery, forklifts and pallet trucks.
The continuous movement of goods produces a large amount of dust, gases and vapors, as well as oil and grease stains on the floor and general dirt.
Dirt in turn can give rise to mold and bacteria, increasing the risk of propagation in the longer run.
Even mess, both on the floor and on the shelves, can be a danger. Firstly, it’s a sign of unproductive logistics; then, the risk of accidents for the workers themselves increases.
What is the roadmap to follow?
Let’s see together the best practices to put into practice in the warehouses cleaning over the holidays.
The 5 most effective tips for the warehouse cleaning
Taking advantage from the staff absence during holidays, it is advisable to pay more attention to:
- Hard floors. The in-depth care of the areas that are most difficult to access in ordinary times will be immediately evident. An industrial ride-on sweeper can be a good solution to collect the dirt generated by machinery and workers.
- Surfaces. Each surface requires a specific solution based on the material it’s made of. From concrete, to marble, up to granite and terracotta. A walk behind scrubber dryer, professional and compact, could help clean narrow spaces.
- Walls, windows and ceilings. Often forgotten due to lack of time, it’s exactly in the highest corners of warehouses that the most stubborn dirt settles. Excellent allies in cleaning large windows are those tools with extendable handles, which help you reach the most difficult areas.
- Shelves. A general review of the materials on the shelves is handy to carry out the inventory quickly and effectively.
- Air circulation. This is a good practice, ideal to eliminate dust, vapors and gases that have accumulated in the workspaces.
The identification and possible drafting, on paper or mentally, of priorities, which can vary according to the context, is also useful to get ready to the above-mentioned phases.
What is the 5S method and how to apply it in the warehouses cleaning
In terms of cleaning and tidying up, the Japanese culture comes with the 5S methodology. If applied in the context of the industry, this can be declined as follows:
- Sort: eliminating everything superfluous for the creation of new spaces;
- Straighten: organizing in the best way what has been ordered, thus allowing anyone to identify it, reposition it and access it easily;
- Shine: cleaning and keeping the area tidy to improve the assigned tasks;
- Standardize: standardizing the previous rules by making them known to all;
- Sustain (over time): applying constantly the 5 standards for the creation of a clean and comfortable space.
Investing time in cleaning is the strategy
The adoption of effective cleaning solutions plays a key role in the economy of an industry for several reasons. First, it prevents dangers, increasing safety at work. Secondly, it’s a potential resource to be integrated into company policy.
We could talk about the culture of cleaning, as a complex of phases, material and social, that can be shared by the company personnel themselves. Cleaning is thus raised not only to an operational means to make the environment healthy and safe, but also to a strategy that brings benefits to the entire production process, to safety standards and to the quality of the final products.
If you have any request, do not hesitate to write to us at our contact page. We will be happy to give you all the support you need.
The IPC Group thanks all of you, customers, for the constant trust you have placed in the Team this year. Your support is essential.
Happy holidays from the IPC Group.
Looking forward to the next year, full of news not to be missed!
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